US6482564B2ExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 92

Electronically active primer layers for thermal patterning of materials for electronic devices

Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COPriority: Sep 15, 2000Filed: Jan 11, 2002Granted: Nov 19, 2002

Est. expirySep 15, 2020(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:NIRMAL MANOJ LE HA T WOLK MARTIN B BELLMANN ERIKA MCCORMICK FRED

H10K 71/18B41M 5/38207B41M 5/395B41M 5/392B41M 3/006B41M 5/52B41M 5/265H05K 3/046Y10S430/165B41M 5/26H10K 59/00H10K 50/11H10K 71/20

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Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides an active primer that includes an electronically active material dispersed in a binder. The active primer can be disposed between a thermal transfer donor sheet and a receptor to assist selective thermal transfer of a material from the donor sheet to the receptor to form at least a portion of an electronic device on the receptor. The binder of the active primer can be selected to improve adhesion of the transferred material to the receptor, or to enhance other transfer properties. The electronically active material of the active primer can be selected to maintain a desired level of functionality in the electronic device being patterned on the receptor.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. A process for making an electronic device comprising the steps of:
disposing an active primer between a receptor substrate and a thermal transfer donor;
disposing a transfer assist layer on the active primer; and
selectively thermally transferring a portion of a transfer layer comprising a material component of the electronic device from the donor to the receptor substrate to form at least a portion of the electronic device,
wherein the active primer comprises a light emitting material dispersed in a binder, the binder being selected to promote selective thermal transfer of the transfer layer to the receptor.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the active primer comprises a charge transport material.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the active primer comprises an electron transport material.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is an organic electroluminescent device.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the material component of the electronic device comprises an organic electroluminescent material.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein disposing the active primer between the donor and the receptor substrate comprises disposing the active primer on the receptor substrate.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein disposing the active primer between the donor and the receptor comprises disposing the active primer on the transfer layer of the donor.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the transfer assist layer further comprises radiation absorbers.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the active primer and transfer assist layers are disposed on the receptor substrate prior to selectively thermally transferring a portion of the transfer layer.

10. A process for making an electronic device comprising the steps of:
disposing an active primer between a receptor substrate and a thermal transfer donor;
disposing a transfer assist layer on the active primer; and
selectively thermally transferring a portion of a transfer layer comprising a material component of the electronic device from the donor to the receptor substrate to form at least a portion of the electronic device,
wherein the active primer comprises a hole transport material dispersed in a binder, the binder being selected to promote selective thermal transfer of the transfer layer to the receptor.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is an organic electroluminescent device.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the material component of the electronic device comprises an organic electroluminescent material.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein disposing the active primer between the donor and the receptor substrate comprises disposing the active primer on the receptor substrate.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein disposing the active primer between the donor and the receptor comprises disposing the active primer on the transfer layer of the donor.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the transfer assist layer further comprises radiation absorbers.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the active primer and transfer assist layers are disposed on the receptor substrate prior to selectively thermally transferring a portion of the transfer layer.

17. A process of making an electronic device comprising the steps of:
disposing an active primer on a receptor substrate;
disposing a transfer assist layer on the active primer; and
selectively thermally transferring a portion of a transfer layer comprising a material component of the electronic device from the donor to the receptor substrate having the active primer layer and transfer assist layer disposed thereon to form at least a portion of the electronic device,
wherein the active primer comprises an electronically active material dispersed in a binder, the binder being selected to promote selective thermal transfer of the transfer layer to the receptor, and the electronically active material being selected to maintain operability of the electronic device.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the electronically active material of the active primer comprises a charge transport material.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the electronically active material of the active primer comprises a hole transport material.

20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the electronically active material of the active primer comprises an electron transport material.

21. The process of claim 17 , wherein the electronic device is an organic electroluminescent device.

22. The process of claim 17 , wherein the material component of the electronic device comprises an organic electroluminescent material.

23. The process of claim 17 , wherein the transfer assist layer further comprises radiation absorbers.

24. A process for patterning a plurality of organic electroluminescent devices on a receptor comprising the steps of:
providing a receptor comprising a plurality of first electrodes disposed on a surface thereof and a buffer material coated on the first electrodes;
providing a thermal transfer donor element comprising a base substrate and a transfer layer, the transfer layer comprising an organic electroluminescent material;
disposing an active primer between the surface of the receptor and the transfer layer of the donor element, the active primer comprising an electronically active material dispersed in a binder, the binder selected to promote thermal transfer of the transfer layer to the receptor;
selectively thermally transferring the transfer layer from the donor element to the receptor to form a pattern of the organic electroluminescent material on the receptor; and
depositing at least one second electrode on the pattern of the organic electroluminescent material to form a plurality of organic electroluminescent devices on the receptor, each of the devices including in the following order one of the first electrodes, the buffer material, a portion of the active primer, a portion of the organic electroluminescent material, and a portion of the at least one second electrode.

25. The process of claim 24 , wherein the step of depositing the at least one second electrode comprises depositing a common second electrode.

26. The process of claim 24 , wherein the organic electroluminescent material comprises a light emitting polymer.

27. The process of claim 24 , wherein the organic electroluminescent material comprises a small molecule light emitter.

28. The process of claim 24 , wherein the small molecule light emitter is disposed in a polymer matrix.

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